An angry preacher & his sick dog.

My name is Sammy Adebiyi and I am an angry person.

Once upon a time, a long time ago, I walked into our sun-room to find that 'our smart dog' had pooped 'defecated' (cause my wife thinks it's immature to use that other word on my blog) all over the floor.

Now I’m not talking about a spot on the carpet, I'm talking e-v-e-r-y-w-h-e-r-e.

I cannot even tell you how angry I was. I was so ticked off that I just wanted to yell at her as loud as I could. I wanted to scold her really bad, but here's the problem...

Dog experts say If you don't issue your correction within about two seconds of the inappropriate behavior, the dog won't have a clue what you are disciplining it for.

It might act scared, but that’s just because you are angry, not because it knows what it did wrong.

I gotta tell you though, even though I knew it to be true that MJ probably wouldn’t associate my anger with her mess, I didn't care.

It didn’t matter.

Who cares if she knew why I was scolding her? Not me. I just had to get my anger and frustration out. I had to yell. I needed her to feel bad, even if she couldn't comprehend why. (Red Flag)

Looking back at how my response clearly had nothing to do with correction and discipline, I realize that my reaction says more about me than my dog.

It had to do with anger, which was already in me before she made her mess.

You see it’s easy to blame our unhealthy responses and reactions on how people treat us.

If they wouldn’t have done "that", then I wouldn’t have responded like "this”.

There's probably some validity in those assertions but I think most of the time, those responses say more about us than we'd like to admit.

Sure people provoke us, but here's the thing, what comes out when provoked is usually what is already in us.

Things like anger, envy, malice, jealousy and impatience aren't like candy. People don't pass them out to us. They just bring to the surface what's buried deep within us.

What happens if you take two cups that are filled with pop and hit them against each other?

BIG SPILL. Why? Because the one cup is just a mean cuss? No. They spill because they already had pop in them.

I didn't scold my dog because she did her thing on the carpet. I scolded her because I'm impatient and I have some anger issues that I cover up really well.

Her action just brought what was already in me to the surface...

Just like your room-mates, teachers, friends, in-laws, kids and co-workers bring issues of your heart (bitterness, envy, negativity, jealousy, insecurity, selfishness etc) to the surface.

My name is Sammy Adebiyi and my response to my dog showed me that I'm impatient and I have some anger issues that I need God to sort through in me.

What about you? What's in you? What do your unhealthy reactions to people/situations say about you?

What comes out of you when provoked?